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Cornaceae
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Rebirth, resurrection, durability, affection.
- Family
- Cornaceae
- Genus
- Cornus
- Native to
- Eastern North America, Northern Mexico
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Type
- deciduous tree
- Height
- 5–10 m
- Sunlight
- Partial shade
- Soil
- Moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
- Water
- Regular
- Hardiness
- 5–9
- Lifespan
- Up to 80 years
Did you know
- What look like dogwood petals are actually four large bracts (modified leaves) — the real flowers are tiny clusters in the center.
- Flowering dogwood is the state flower of North Carolina and Virginia and the state tree of Missouri.
- Dogwood is one of the densest and hardest of American woods, historically used for golf club heads, mallet heads, and weaving shuttles.
- Native Americans used dogwood bark as a febrifuge (fever reducer) and as a substitute for quinine during the Civil War.
- The name 'dogwood' is thought to come from 'dagwood' — referring to the wood's use in making 'dags' (skewers and daggers).